Beautiful Hands

by Kathryn Otoshi (Illustrator), Bret Baumgarten

This colorful concept book reveals an illustrative surprise and reading delight with every turn of the page. Little hands can do so many wonderful things: plant ideas; stretch imaginations; and reach for dreams. Parents and educators will enjoy sharing the word play with young readers. Children will revel in the spectacular art created using thumb- and hand-prints. The book's uplifting message will rouse and motivate, leaving no heart untouched.

Based on co-author Bret Baumgarten’s experience of holding his daughter’s hands every morning and asking her, "What will your beautiful hands do today?," this book was created to inspire children everywhere to use their power to help themselves and others achieve their dreams. Co-authored and illustrated by Kathryn Otoshi (One, Zero, Two), it is sure to charm.

Genres: Picture Books, Art, Childrens, Storytime, Juvenile, Love, Nonfiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

Kathryn Otoshi is an acclaimed author, illustrator and speaker best known for her character-building books, Zero, One, and Two. She travels across the country inspiring students through reading, art and the power of literature. Her books, Beautiful Hands and Draw the Line, make important statements about connecting and building community.

Reviews

[Amanda Vaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pictures in this book are simplistic, bright, and beautiful! They captivate the imagination of the reader with each turning of a page. The words are simple yet though provoking. And, the use of hands to create each picture and make the image grow larger is spectacular. They make us each take a look at who and what we can each do to change the world. What will your beautiful hands do today?

I hope to use this book in my classroom as a writing assignment. I will be posing this question to my students to use as a writing prompt each week. Students can study the ideas and pictures presented in the book or come up with their own images to tell me what their hands will do. I hope that this will serve as a creative writing assignment for them that they will truly enjoy.

I can also see this book being used in early elementary school to create think alouds and an opportunity to practice basic writing skills. It could also be used in an art class with students creating images to represent the words in the book.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not in the mood to be cynical or judgemental, so I'm going to admit this charmed & cheered me. Yes, it's a bit like one of those gimmicky, almost saccharine, giftable instant classics. But not really. It's actually quite a bit better than that. And it just hit me right, at the right time that I needed it.

If you have a little niece or grandson, you could do worse than to put this under their tree this year. And if you teach preschool - G4, please let us know if you can think of a way to use this in your classroom.

[Jessica Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having young children at home I read MANY MANY children's books and I don't log them all on Goodreads, let alone write reviews about them. Still, when one captures me the way this book did with its simple but warm and meaningful message and beautiful artistry that my kids and I keep staring at..well it is worth the praise. Congrats on a beautiful book.

[Maria Caplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes to everything illustrations all made from handprints. Power in words and being you. Simple and wide open for beginning of the year. #creativity instead of get to know me posters!

[Margaret]

Three titles published within the last several months focus on developing a positive perspective so our lives, the lives of those closest to us and the lives of people we may never meet are rich and full. Collaborators author Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrator Tom Lichtenheld present Friendshape (Scholastic Press, August 25, 2015), a charming tale on the comforts trustworthy companions bring. I Used To Be Afraid (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, September 29, 2015) written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger explores conquering fears by stepping back and looking at them with different eyes. A daily ritual of a father with his children becomes Beautiful Hands (Blue Dot Press, September 29, 2015) written and illustrated by Kathryn Otoshi and Bret Baumgarten.


"What will your beautiful hands DO TODAY?"

This introductory question guides each subsequent series of questions and a reply that is also a question. We are first asked

Will they PLANT?
What can you plant?

We are engaged in this conversation. Our minds race as possibilities come to the surface. Will we plant seeds, vegetable, flowers, or trees? Oh no...


My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Hands by Bret Baumgarten and Kathryn Otoshi. PICTURE BOOK. Blue Dot Press, 2015. $18. 9780990799306

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, GIFT - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Beautiful hands plant, lift, touch -- but what do they plant? Lift? Touch?

Otoshi’s beautiful illustrations amplify the simple words and message of this gorgeous picture book. What a great baby shower option or just to snuggle and dream with a favorite little one!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Aliza Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful handprint illustrations. Mentor text to create your own art and answer the question "what will your beautiful hands do today?"

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A visual feast with a theme. It promotes both thought and interaction.

[PunkRockLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

7 y/o reviewer: really, really good! I loved all the art made with kid and parent hands!

#punkrocklibrarian

[Malia Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful Hands is an inspiring and motivating book about how little hands can do many wonderful things. All the illustrations are made from finger and hand art. There's not much reading, but the book is full of unique illustrations and color. I chose this book because I loved the concept of all the illustrations being made just from their hands. The genre is fiction and the grade level is pre K-K. I would use this in a reading classroom by reading this as a read-aloud and then having students follow it up with a art lesson.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Hands is a children's picture book written by Bret Baumgarten and illustrated by Kathryn Otoshi. It is a book that shows what hands could do – even little hands.

Baumgarten's text is simplistic and straightforward yet thought provoking. It demonstrates what little hands could do that could have profound changes. Despite liking the text, I do have a couple quibbles – the text is non-linear, which I, as a dyslexic person, have difficulty reading and secondly that the text have different fonts – one of them cursive, which I don't think it's taught anymore or that the target audience could read. Otoshi's illustrations are simply wonderful, colorful, and done by hands – finger painting.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It is a book, which shows what little hands could do, and the profound changes big or small. It is based on Baumgarten's experience of holding his daughter's hands every morning and asking her, "What will your beautiful hands do today?" which gave birth to this book to inspire children to use their powers to help themselves and other achieve their dreams.

All in all, Beautiful Hands is a wonderful children's book with timeless message with bright and beautiful finger-painting illustrations.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book, along with three others illustrated by Kathryn Otoshi, were my favorite finds at this year’s Texas Library Association’s annual conference. Otoshi was sitting in a vender booth sketching as she signed books. I just watched for a few minutes and then proceeded to buy all her books and had them signed. We chatted for a while and I found her to be warm and personable which is conveyed into the books’ illustrations. I brought the books back to the condo and all five librarians passed them around, enjoying the art and the simple, yet poignant messages, in all of them. In “Beautiful Hands,” readers will be encouraged to reach out and touch the hearts and lives of everyone they come into contact with. The acrylic paintings on every page will bring smiles and deep sighs of satisfaction. On the surface, this book is geared to 3-6 year olds, but the message and art are really for young, old, and everything in-between.

[Carol Royce Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Hands by Kathryn Otoshi and Bret Baumgarten - WOW! What a beautiful book! I bought this several weeks ago, looking for a gift for someone special, but didn't get to really read it until today. Now I will be giving it - reluctantly, because truthfully, I want to keep it for my collection. Inspired by Bret Baumgarten's experience of holding his children's hands in wonder and asking them, "What will your beautiful hands do today? the book takes the reader on a beautiful journey of possibilities.

[Kaitlyn Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated and simplistic story expressing the idea that your hands can do anything that they want to so what will it be... will they touch hearts or lift spirits? Or maybe stretch imaginations or reach love? The author says her hope is that this book will "empower creativity, compassion, love and connection" and I believe that it does just that. I think that this book can be directed towards a wide range of viewers as both children and adults will benefit from the beauty and the message of this touching story.

[Whole And · Rating 5 out of 5]

GORGEOUS and exceptionally fun, getting all sensory with painted hand art. "What will your hands do today" is the powerful question posed in this book as the thread throughout. A true blessing to children's hands and their power of purpose. In a world focused so much on the virtual, working with our hands is meaningful, developmentally necessary and creates a foundational sense of beauty (which is present in all of Kathryn Otoshi's books). The secret is in the adults having fun and getting messy as well. Strongly recommend this book!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very unique book that asks kids "What will your beautiful hands do today?" followed by responses of things they can accomplish. Each action is depicted with pictures made entirely from painted handprints. The responses will certainly help to create a dialog with young kids about the limitless possibilities there are for exploration and learning.

A page at the end of the book shares the story of how the author and illustrator came to collaborate on this wonderful book.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why, why, why would they make this book's cover white out of the sort of material that takes in dirt and not use a jacket cover? WHY? It'll be filthy at the library within a month. Such a poor decision.

Other than that, we're good. It's a book of hope that poses broad questions that shines due to the handprint illustrations. Yep, those are fun and begging to be the inspiration for art projects and school-wide things.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very visually stimulating, but that's about all it has going for it. The text switches between cursive and bold colorful font, so kids who are just starting to read on their own might not be able to handle it, but it is too simple to hold and older child's interest. Also, there are so few words on each page, and the sentences are split up between pages, so it would be awkward as a read-aloud.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the concept of this book. Taking hand and fingerprints to make the illustrations, the authors have created a lovely, meaningful question book that helps kids understand their little hands can do so much to make the world a wonderful place. Simple and to the point and always a little bit surprising. I don't know why. But this isn't a book I have memorized like so many others with spare dialogue. It always makes me think.

[Andrea Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this little inspirational book. I loved most how it is written to empower and creatively spark the minds of children. This book encourages children to connect with the world around them and to love themselves and be their best self. This book is interactive asking children what they might touch? hearts. or what they might plant? ideas.
I enjoyed reading such a wonderfully inspiring book to my daughter.

[Becket · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for the eye-catching, rainbow-hued illustrations. The backmatter about about how these illustrations were made is actually more interesting than the book itself, which doesn't have a narrative of any kind, just a vaguely upbeat and inspirational message. This would be a great readaloud for starting off a school year, or for a children's sermon.

[Heydi Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This miraculous transformation of our hands into objects and animals is truly a masterpiece that begs to be read at Storytime so that afterwards our children can create masterpieces of their own with all the inspiration they've just enjoyed.

I have loved all of Kathryn Otoshi's books so far and love that she had a co-author for this one. I'm anxious to see what else they have for us in future.

[Elvira · Rating 4 out of 5]

My three year old son loves Kathryn Otoshi's books. We enjoyed comparing our hands while reading the book and mimicking making the prints on the page. I will say I enjoy the story with Zero, One, and Two better, but the images are worth the reading over again. And my son had had me read it three times in a row. Now to do some hand paintings.

[BiblioBickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This simple book begins with a question, "What will your beautiful hands do today? Will they PLANT...What can you plant? IDEAS?" It continues with different questions and different non-literal suggestions. The illustrations are beautiful, answering the questions in different ways and providing exuberant and whimsical combinations made of finger-, hand-, and, in some cases, paw-prints.

[Kristen Hylton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so beautiful, and lovely for storytime! I had the kids make movements with their hands with me as we read the story, and we had fun guessing what the pictures were and how they were made (everything incorporates handprints or fingerprints in some way!). We also thought about possible answers to the questions posed before turning each page to see how the book answered them.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful hand prints and finger paintings illustrate this simple story about creativity and mindful self-reflection. Includes a touching backstory about the genesis of the book. Excellent pairing with a handprint/finger-painting activity.

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story behind this book is as beautiful as the book itself. http://www.slj.com/2015/08/interviews...

[Wendy Garland · Rating 4 out of 5]

The handprint illustrations make this is a beautiful book to look at.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compassion & Love

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiring text supports colorful hand-made creations.

Love the artwork and the author/illustrator note following the story.

PreK-2.